Formation and Evolution of Turbulence in Convectively Unstable Internal Solitary Waves of Depression Shoaling over Gentle Slopes in the South China Sea.
Saved in:
| Title: | Formation and Evolution of Turbulence in Convectively Unstable Internal Solitary Waves of Depression Shoaling over Gentle Slopes in the South China Sea. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Bolioudakis, Tilemachos1 (AUTHOR) tb424@cornell.edu, Diamantopoulos, Theodoros1 (AUTHOR), Diamessis, Peter J.1 (AUTHOR), Lien, Ren-Chieh2 (AUTHOR), Lamb, Kevin G.3 (AUTHOR), Rivera-Rosario, Gustavo1 (AUTHOR), Thomsen, Greg N.4 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Physical Oceanography. Mar2026, Vol. 56 Issue 3, p533-559. 27p. |
| Subjects: | Turbulence, Flow instability, Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, Ocean, Internal waves, Kinetic energy, Wave amplification |
| Geographic Terms: | South China Sea |
| Abstract: | The shoaling of high-amplitude internal solitary waves (ISWs) of depression in the South China Sea (SCS) is examined through large-scale parallel turbulence-resolving high-accuracy/resolution simulations. A select, near-isobath-normal, bathymetric transect of the gentle SCS continental slope is employed together with stratification and current profiles obtained by in situ measurements. Three simulations of separate ISWs with initial deep-water amplitudes in the range [136, 150 m] leverage a novel wave-tracking capability for a propagation distance of 80 km and accurately reproduce key features of in situ–observed phenomena with significantly higher spatiotemporal resolution. The interplay between convective and shear instability and the associated turbulence formation and evolution as a function of deep-water ISW amplitude are further studied in part revealing processes previously not observed in the field. Across all three waves, the convective instability develops in a similar fashion. Heavier water entrained from the wave rear plunges into its interior, giving rise to transient, yet distinct, subsurface vortical structures. Ultimately, a gravity current is triggered which horizontally advances through the wave interior and mixes it down to pycnocline's base. Although the waveform remains distinctly symmetric, Kelvin–Helmholtz billows emerge near the well-mixed ISW trough, disturb the wave's trailing edge, and give rise to an active wake. The evolution of the kinetic energy associated with fine-scale perturbations to the ISW-induced velocity field shows two different growth regimes, each dominated by either convective or shear instability. The wake's perturbation kinetic energy is nonlinearly dependent on deep-water wave amplitude and can become a sizable fraction of the kinetic energy of the deep-water ISW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Physical Oceanography is the property of American Meteorological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | The shoaling of high-amplitude internal solitary waves (ISWs) of depression in the South China Sea (SCS) is examined through large-scale parallel turbulence-resolving high-accuracy/resolution simulations. A select, near-isobath-normal, bathymetric transect of the gentle SCS continental slope is employed together with stratification and current profiles obtained by in situ measurements. Three simulations of separate ISWs with initial deep-water amplitudes in the range [136, 150 m] leverage a novel wave-tracking capability for a propagation distance of 80 km and accurately reproduce key features of in situ–observed phenomena with significantly higher spatiotemporal resolution. The interplay between convective and shear instability and the associated turbulence formation and evolution as a function of deep-water ISW amplitude are further studied in part revealing processes previously not observed in the field. Across all three waves, the convective instability develops in a similar fashion. Heavier water entrained from the wave rear plunges into its interior, giving rise to transient, yet distinct, subsurface vortical structures. Ultimately, a gravity current is triggered which horizontally advances through the wave interior and mixes it down to pycnocline's base. Although the waveform remains distinctly symmetric, Kelvin–Helmholtz billows emerge near the well-mixed ISW trough, disturb the wave's trailing edge, and give rise to an active wake. The evolution of the kinetic energy associated with fine-scale perturbations to the ISW-induced velocity field shows two different growth regimes, each dominated by either convective or shear instability. The wake's perturbation kinetic energy is nonlinearly dependent on deep-water wave amplitude and can become a sizable fraction of the kinetic energy of the deep-water ISW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 00223670 |
| DOI: | 10.1175/JPO-D-24-0181.1 |
